Diameter-gage.



W. B. MAIR.

V DIAMETER GAGE.

APPLICATION FILED APR.5, 1909. 1,008,842. Patented pv. 14,1911.

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WILLIAM BRUCE MAIL, or SPRINGFIELD, cHELMsFoED, ENGLAND.

"Specication of Letters Pat/ent. Application led April 5, 1909. Serial No. 487,993.

atenten Nov. 1,4, 191i.

To all whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM -BRUGE MAIR, va subject ofHis Majesty the King of England, residing at Springfield, Chelmsn ford, Essex, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Diameter- Gages, of which the following is a specification.

A standard-gage is usually made so that it is a` solid piece of the given diameter which possesses many practical disadvantages in the way of handling, accuracy and general use.

The object of my invention is to obviate these disadvantages in a simple manner, and

y to this end I employ an instrument comprising a standard-gage in conjunction with a series of balls whereby I 4obtain lightness, accuracy, ease in handling, and, in addition, collapsibility thereby rendering one instrument capable of very varied use.

According to one form of my invention,

therefore, in an instrument for gaging the diameter of holes, I adopt a plug gage of considerably smaller diameter than lthe hole and arrange a series 0f balls in the annular space between th'e periphery of the gage and the face of the hole. For example, an instrument for gaging a hole of 25; diameter may consist of a plug gage if diameter and a series of balls diameter situated in the annular space between the vplug gage and the hole. By using standard balls, which are easily procurable, an accurate measurement canl be effected. When an ordinary plug gage is used as at present it requires considerable skill to use 1t without causing damage, but by the combination of a small plug and -balls the touch necessary for the introduction of the plu gage' is so light and the piece to handle so Iight that the gaging of a hole can be done wlth the greatest ease and without exertion.

The gaging of an outside diameter by the use of balls interposed in an annular space between the female gage andthe art-icle to be measured can be dealt with quite as easily,for, although the hole in the gage is now larger than the piece to be measured,

of gage can also be usedfor a large variety For/ instance, with a gage i diameter and annular spaces that can be made lup with balls from th rising by sixteenths up to 1', all sizes from 1 up to 2% rising in-eighths can be accurately measured, and further for the sake of cheapness and lightness, the larger sizes of balls can be dispensed with and-two or more balls superimposed upon one-'another in a direct radial line to make up any required annular space and sov get at any required diameter. The plug gage used in the center Jmay be tapered to any required extent and the diameter may be accurately read according to the depth that' mea-IIS.

In the accompanying sheet of illustrative drawings Figure 1 is a transverse section of a gage embodying one form of this invention and in which a taper plug is employed instead of one ofI standarddiameter vthis enabling the gage to be employed for various diameters within its limits. -f Fig. 2 is a 'similar view of gage embodying another form of its invention, adapted for gaging outside diameters alsoarrangedto give graduated measurements.

An apparatus embodying this inventlon comprises a sleeve member. provided with radial holes or pocketsv open at both ends, atene end to the interior of the sleeve and at the other end to the exterior thereof; a

locking member having longitudinal inclines, balls free in said pockets and adapted to engage said inclines and the object to be measured; and ascale adapted to indicate or register the diameterI of said object when the axial movement one within the other is arrested by astop contact of said balls between the object and the inclines.

` The diameter gage` illustrated 'in Fig. 1

is designed for gaging internal diameters. In this case a sleeve member 10 is provided preferably near 'its lower end with a plurality of radial holes or pocketsal, preferably three in number, extending through the wall of the sleeve and open 'at one end to the interior thereof and at the other end to the diameter .than they thickness of the sleeve,

vided at its lower end with inclines preferably in theform of a tapered conical extension a. This. sliding plug is also provided with a scale 2l the graduations of which are adapted to register with the top of said sleeve which is preferably tapered to a thin edge. lIn the use of this device the sliding l the surface of said bore.

plug 20'constituting the locking member is inserted in the sleeve 10 until the small end thereof is opposite the pockets of said sleeve. Then the spherical balls b are inserted in the sleeve pockets d, their inner peripheries resting against said tapered plug. The pocket end of the sleeve is inserted into the bore c of the cylinder, pipe or' other object whose diameter is to be measured. Then the plug 2O is pushed inward until the tapering extension a thereof forces the balls `b outward into locking4 or stop contact with The graduation of the scale 21 which then registers with the top ll of the sleeve 10 indicates the diameter of the bore, the graduations and numerals of this scale being so arranged withrelation to the plug, holes and the top of the sleeve as to secure this result. Then the plug 20 is withdrawn or partially withdrawn `and the balls are free to roll toward the center out of contact with the bore. The sleeve l0 being smaller in diameter than .the hole to vthis diameter gage is provided with three pockets'and three balls are used therein, the

- instrument is self-centering when applied to the objectto be gaged. I

Many variations of diameter may be measured with a'single instrument for instance,

supposing, as shown, in two inches ofthe taper there is a difference in diameter of i. the hole to' be measured could be anything from lgth to 13th the middle position' being 1% as shown and the balls employed of diameter. lThe upper parallel part of the plug gage 2O is asj shown divided off for a distance corresponding with the len h 'of the taper portion a into 16 parts eac part representing one 64th art of van inch bep tween the limits (113th to 1th) of the gage. Of' course any other tav er could" be made on the plug a say on 1f ongA it'could be tapered .001 of an inch and ifl the length of the plug be marked-fin tenths of an inch, each tenth partI on the indicator would represent .0001 in the diameter of the hole being measured.

In Fig. 2 of the drawings a gage of the same general dimensions is shown for measuring outside diameters, the main principle being substantially the same as in the embodiment hereinbefore described. In this case the locking member- 40`comprises an inverted cup a having interior inclines a2 preferably in the form of a Haring cylinder,

and a tubular neck a3 of smaller diameter 'than said cup and projecting upward there from. This neck haspreferably a'beyeled edge at. r In this case the ysleeve member ycomprises al shallow inverted cup 30 provided with an upwardly projecting stem 31 adapted to slidein the tubular necka.3 of

the locking member 40. The cup 30 has. a straight interior .bore and is of smaller diameter than the flaring cup a of the lockting nember 40. Said cup 30 isprovided with ball pockets d like the ball pockets of the 'sleeve member in Fig.l 1. The stem 31l is provided with a scale g .with lindexed graduations adapted to register with the tapered end a of the tubular neck a3. In

measured, is inserted in the cylindrical cup 30 constituting the body of the sleeve member, the balls b are inserted in the pockets d of said cup 30 and then the stem 31 of said cup is inserted through-the Haring cup a" of the locking member 40 into the neck a3 ,of said member and the cup" 30 of the sleeve member is drawn into said cup a until the balls b come into stop contact with the interior inclines a2 of said Haring cup a. At this point the scale g will indicate at the joint`of its register-with the tapered neck a4, the diameter of the object If a set of balls be damaged they can readily be replaced by new standard balls, and if the plug be damaged or worn a very small gage only has to be replaced instead of one equal to the diameter of thev hole. Also, due to the great ease of handling such an instrument, but little wear'takes place 011 the-measuring arts. A series of two orthe invention'. j

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent lof the United States is:-

1. The combination of a sleeve member Vprovided with radial pockets open. at both ends, a lockingmemberhaving longitudinal inclines, one of said members being, movableaxially within the other and balls movable in said pockets, each having a diameter greater than the length of its pocket and adapted for rolling contact on one side of said sleeve member with said inclines and on the other side thereof with the object to be gaged, one of said members being provided with a scale adapted to register the diameter of said vobject when the relative movement of said'members is arrested by' stop Contact of said balls with said inclines and said object. s

2. The combination of a sleeve member provided with radial pockets open at both ends, balls movable in said' pockets, each having a diameter greater than the length of its pocket, and a locking member in theform of avl tapered plug slidable in sail sleeve member between said balls and operative to force them outward into rolling Contact with the object to be measured, one of said members being provided with a scale operative to indicate the internal diameter of said object when said tapered plug forces said balls into stop contact therewith.

3, Thev combination of a sleeve member provided with three radial pockets open at both ends, a locking member having lonitudinal inclines, one of said members be-A 1ng movable axially within the other, an balls movable in said pockets, each having a diameter greater than the lengthfof its pocket and adapted for rolling contact on one side of said sleeve member with lsaid inclines and on the other side thereof with the object to be ga edon'e of said members being provided wit a scale adapted to register the diameter of 'said object when the relative movement of said members is .ary rested by stop contact of said balls with said inclines and said object.

4. The `combination of a sleeve member i'ovided with three radial pockets open at oth en`ds, balls movable in said pockets, each having a diameter greater than the length of its pocket, and a locking member in the form of a tapered plug slidable in said sleeve member between said balls and' operative to force them outward into rolling contact with the object to be measured, one of'said members being provided with a scale operative to indicate the internal diameter of said object when said tapered plug forces said balls into stop contact therewith. 5. The combination of a sleeve member provided with radial pockets open at both' w. BRUCE MMR. Witnesses: i ,I ALFREDNUTHNG, C. P. LmDoN- 

